Memorandum device



April 4, 1939'. c. J. BOZUNG MEMORANDUM DEVICE Filed Dec. 3, 1956 Patented Apr. 4, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

My improvement is an improvement in memorandum devices, and has particular reference to that type in which the paper on which the memoranda is written is fed from an encased roll over a platen, and includes means for cutting off lengths of the paper strip as well as feeding the same over the platen.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a memorandum device of this general character of such construction as to adapt it especially for use as a household article to be located in the kitchen, pantry, or convenient to a telephone, for the purpose of making notations as to things needed in the house, telephone calls, etc.

My invention further contemplates a novel construction of casing and cooperating elements whereby the device may be manufactured and sold at comparatively small cost, and in addition to its utility in providing a handy medium for recording memoranda it will present a wall fixture of ornamental appearance.

With these principal objects in view my invention consists of a casing to receive a roll of paper and having a platen or backing plate for that "portion of the strip on which the memoranda is to be notated, including also means for feeding the paper from the roll and cutting it off, as well as means for supporting a pencil in association with the casing; all as hereinafter described and specifically set forth in the appended claim.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a front elevation of the memorandum device.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the casing.

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation, with the upper part of the back of the casing broken away to show the paper strip feeding mechanism, and

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the movable roller and spring for actuating the same.

In carrying out my invention of an inexpensive device for notating memoranda on a continuous strip or roll of paper, and-for removing that portion of the free end of the strip on which the notation is made, I have provided an article of manufacture for this general purpose that can be attached to a wall or partition and which will include a platen or backing for the exposed portion of the strip, as well as simple and effective means for feeding the strip and for cutting off that portion on which the notation is written. To this end I provide a casing II] to enclose the paper roll and means operating in association therewith, the said casing having a back I I with which it is in slidable engagement for the removal of the main portion of the casing in supplying paper rolls when the device is secured in place, the slidable connection being provided by the usual method of bending or folding the longitudinal edges l3, [3, of the back to receive outwardly projecting narrow flanges l4, M at the inner edges of the side pieces; and to support the casing in place the lower edge of the back is bent or folded, as at l5, in which seats a downwardly extended short flange l6 at the end of the rearwardly extended bottom portions of the casing.

The front of the casing is constructed'to provide a platen I! located a slight distance inwardly from the outer edges of the side pieces so that the upwardly curved front portion l8 of the casing will be spaced a slight distance from'the lower end of said platen to leave a slot [9 through which the strip of paper passes from the roll 20 to and over the platen, and to provide for the paper strip feeding mechanism the upper end of the platen 2 terminates a short distance from the downwardly curved front portion 2| at the upper end of the casing.

The feeding mechanism consists of two rollers 22 and 23 journaled between the side pieces of the casing at the upper end of the platen, the roller 22 being in front of the roller 23 and is somewhat larger, and for locating this larger roller so that the paper will be guided rearwardly a slight distance from the face of the platen in passing between the cooperating rollers the side pieces of the casing are extended outwardly to provide bearings. The smaller roller 23 is the tension roller, and for movement of this roller to and from the companion roller the gudgeons 25 at the ends thereof have bearing in slots 26 in the side pieces of the casing, tension being provided in this instance by opposite spring wires 21, 21, the upper ends of which press against the gudgeons at the inner side of the casing. These tension springs are secured at their lower ends in clips 26a, and are engaged intermediate their ends by lugs 21a to augment the spring action of the inwardly curved upper ends thereof, the upper terminal portions being curved in the arc of a circle to cooperate with the movement of the roller in the slots. As will be noted from Fig. 3 of the drawing wider bearings for the gudgeons of the movable tension roller are provided by inwardly projecting portions of the side pieces formed in stamping out slots in which the gudgeons slide as the tension roller accommodates itself to the thickness of the paper, and as this roller is turned in feeding the paper the gudgeons at the opposite ends thereof are extended beyond the slots to receive knobs 28 secured to the gudgeons in any suitable manner. These knobs are milled to insure a better finger grip in turning the roller, and both rollers 22 and 23 are made of rubber with longitudinal serrated surfaces for better frictional engagement with the paper in feeding or drawing the same over the platen from the paper roll.

The paper roll, including its tubular core, located in the lower enlarged portion of the casing is mounted on a transverse shaft 29 extending between the side pieces of said casing and fastened in place by means of screws 30, and for attaching the memorandum device to a wall, partition, or other support the back plate II 'is provided with apertures or screw holes 3|.

By reference to Fig. 3 it will be seen that I provide for threading the end of the paper strip into the bight of the rollers from the front of the device by extending the upper end of the platen to forma guide member 32, and to direct the end :of .thestrip outof the casing the lower end of the upper front portion is extended rearwardly, as

at 33, to near the tension roller in its normal position. This .arrangement provides for easily threading the .end of the paper .to the rollers in the event it should become accidentally disengaged :at anytime, or in supplying a new paper roll after removing the casing for the purpose.

The means for cutting off portions of the paper strip which have been written upon and fed beyond the feeding rollers by the turning of the roller .23 is in the form of a cutting blade 34 .curved transversely to correspond with the curved outer edges of the bearings 24 and has its longitudinal cutting edge located above said roller, and in addition to providing for the severing of the paper strip this cutting blade also covers the feeding mechanism to protect the feed rollers and also improves the neat appearance of the device.

For increasing the utility of the memorandum device the casing is provided at one side with a pencil holder, consisting of a vertical tube 35 attached to one side of the casing bybands 36, 36,

at the upper and lower ends thereof, and between these bands, at the outer side of the tube, there is .a slot 31 through which passes an operating member 38 of .a movable stop 39 by which the pencil is ejected .to a more or less extent from the upper end of said supporting tube. The pencil rests on this stop and in order that the latter may be adjusted within the tube so as to support a short pencil with its upper end projecting beyond the tube the said stop is in the form of a soft rubber plug fitting closely within the tube so that it will remain at any adjusted position by frictional contact with the inner side of said tube.

The construction and operation of my improved memorandum device for household use will be readily understood from the foregoing description in connection with the accompanying drawing, for the feeding of the paper strip progressively, as notations are made on that portion thereof lying over the platen, is effected by turning the knobs operating the feeding rollers, and when it is desired to tear off written memoranda that portion of the strip on which the memoranda or notations are made is extended beyond the knife blade and cut off by a lateral pull on the projecting portion of the strip. In the operation of cutting off that portion of the paper strip on which the memoranda or notations have been made the tension of the roller 23 through the medium of the spring wires 2? acts to firmly hold the paper while it is being cut by the knife blade, and while I have not considered it necessary to provide the usual means, as ratchet and pawl (not shown), for preventing backward movement of the feeding rollers, those or analogous elements for the purpose may be added if desired. Other obvious modifications may be resorted to within the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

A memorandum device comprising a body portion and back plate, the body portion including side pieces, upper and lower walls extending between the side pieces, and a platen secured to the side pieces betweenthe upper and lower walls, inturned flanges at the side edges and lower edge of the back plate, and outwardly projecting flanges at the rear edges of the side pieces and lower wall of the body portion for slidable engagement with .the inturned flanges of the back plate, whereby said back plate forms an attaching plate for supporting the memorandum device on a wall for slidable and detachable engagement of the body portion therewith; means on the body portion for supporting a paperroll therein, means on the body portion for supporting feed rollers between which the paper passes from the platen, and a cutting blade extending across the front of the body portion at one .end of the platen.

3 CLARENCE .J. BOZUNG. 

